I miss Buffy. and Angel. And Firefly. And Wonderfalls. And Farscape. Most TV I only watch with one eye anymore while I do something else (usually read online) but here's what I look forward to watching lately, more or less.
Las Vegas - with Tad Hamilton! Or Josh Duhamel, if you must. I missed out on this show in its first season because I was watching Everwood. Now that Everwood has gotten SO BORING, I've been watching Las Vegas and not missing Everwood at all. Things to like about it: cute boys, fast cars, fun music, shiny lights, pretty cast, stories that wrap up in one episode. Oh yeah - everyone on on it is either ex Special Forces or some kind of genius, so clearly it is reality-based. Since CSI Las Vegas has gotten so completely sucktastic (talk about diluting a good thing with 101 copycats), this show is where it's at for LV TV. It is light, but that's OK.
Medium- I like this show a lot. The writing is sometimes cheesy for the psychic-action-of-the-week, but I absolutely love the portrayal of this woman (Alison Dubois) and her family. She and her husband bicker, but unlike on most shows they are also allowed to be sexy, supportive, and ordinary. The kids are great too. One of the things that let me know it wasn't TV as usual was that the MC's husband (Joe Dubois) often was left with the care of all 3 girls, and it wasn't treated like he was some kind of patron saint of fatherhood - he was just being a parent.
Gilmore Girls - I am so bummed that there has been so much downtime in this show recently. It is hard analyze how well the story is flowing when it is so often interrupted. I do like this show a lot - it manages to balance relationships and real drama in a very whimsical setting. This sort of blend is always a favorite of mine, and I thnk they do it really well. Plus they have kick-ass tunes! Once they show a new episode again, I will probably have to do a whole entry on it. They've been dealing a lot with class issues (Rory/Logan and Lorelei/Luke) and I always find that fascinating. Emily has also turned into this two-headed monster.. anyway. I like it.
Veronica Mars - Everyone says this is "the new Buffy." I disagree, but I like it for what it IS, which is highschool noir. I am glad to hear that they will be wrapping up the two main issues of the year by the end of this season. Hopefully they will be renewed and can start with something new next year. Looking back, I think that was one of the central problems with Twin Peaks - they let the main mystery spool out too long and it just got ridiculous. (although I still think that show was capital A Amazing, and one of the best/weirdest ensembles ever assembled)
House - this has been getting better and better as the series has progressed. At first, I was just watching it because I think Hugh Laurie is fantastic, and Hugh Laurie cranky is extra-super-fantastic. But now they've finally started stretching beyond the utterly predictable 3 wrong diagnose, a-ha the right one in the last 10 minutes formula. House has something to actually rebel against that doesn't just immediately cave against his wall of crankitude. I hope it comes back next year.
Alias - this show is completely ridiculous if you try to apply any sort of logic to it. My recommendation is to NOT apply any logic, and just go along for the ride. It is a fun ride with lots of wigs, costume changes, and Los Angeles tarted up to look like places from all around the world. It has a lot of energy, momentum, gadgets, and charm which more than off-set the lack of sense as far as I'm concerned.
Lost - see above. Except it is Hawaii instead of L.A., and there are no wigs but there is a polar bear. And Matthew Fox.
The OC - Seth was right, it was better last year. But I things are looking up with the arrival of Ryan's brother Trey (btw - SO not the same actor who played Trey last year). I think that was the missing dynamic - they need the fish out of water to make it all hold together. I guess the Cohen's will have to adopt one troubled youngster per season. Strangely, I'm OK with that.
Joan of Arcadia - this show is on the bubble with me. It has been suffering from hiatusitis, so maybe it will pick up now that it's back. But, it is starting to get signs of Everwooditis as well, and that's not good. Plus, what is up with Joan's hair going from dark brown to almost red?
There are obviously other shows that I watch - Desparate Housewives, some new ones (Eyes, Grey's Anatomy), and some hoary old ones (CSI), but they aren't ones I would get upset about missing. I don't know how long they will be able to continue DH. It sounds like it may explode from the inside - plus, it's not really that compelling. I enjoy it well enough when I am watching it, but I don't think about it one second beyond when it is on of my TV.
Las Vegas - with Tad Hamilton! Or Josh Duhamel, if you must. I missed out on this show in its first season because I was watching Everwood. Now that Everwood has gotten SO BORING, I've been watching Las Vegas and not missing Everwood at all. Things to like about it: cute boys, fast cars, fun music, shiny lights, pretty cast, stories that wrap up in one episode. Oh yeah - everyone on on it is either ex Special Forces or some kind of genius, so clearly it is reality-based. Since CSI Las Vegas has gotten so completely sucktastic (talk about diluting a good thing with 101 copycats), this show is where it's at for LV TV. It is light, but that's OK.
Medium- I like this show a lot. The writing is sometimes cheesy for the psychic-action-of-the-week, but I absolutely love the portrayal of this woman (Alison Dubois) and her family. She and her husband bicker, but unlike on most shows they are also allowed to be sexy, supportive, and ordinary. The kids are great too. One of the things that let me know it wasn't TV as usual was that the MC's husband (Joe Dubois) often was left with the care of all 3 girls, and it wasn't treated like he was some kind of patron saint of fatherhood - he was just being a parent.
Gilmore Girls - I am so bummed that there has been so much downtime in this show recently. It is hard analyze how well the story is flowing when it is so often interrupted. I do like this show a lot - it manages to balance relationships and real drama in a very whimsical setting. This sort of blend is always a favorite of mine, and I thnk they do it really well. Plus they have kick-ass tunes! Once they show a new episode again, I will probably have to do a whole entry on it. They've been dealing a lot with class issues (Rory/Logan and Lorelei/Luke) and I always find that fascinating. Emily has also turned into this two-headed monster.. anyway. I like it.
Veronica Mars - Everyone says this is "the new Buffy." I disagree, but I like it for what it IS, which is highschool noir. I am glad to hear that they will be wrapping up the two main issues of the year by the end of this season. Hopefully they will be renewed and can start with something new next year. Looking back, I think that was one of the central problems with Twin Peaks - they let the main mystery spool out too long and it just got ridiculous. (although I still think that show was capital A Amazing, and one of the best/weirdest ensembles ever assembled)
House - this has been getting better and better as the series has progressed. At first, I was just watching it because I think Hugh Laurie is fantastic, and Hugh Laurie cranky is extra-super-fantastic. But now they've finally started stretching beyond the utterly predictable 3 wrong diagnose, a-ha the right one in the last 10 minutes formula. House has something to actually rebel against that doesn't just immediately cave against his wall of crankitude. I hope it comes back next year.
Alias - this show is completely ridiculous if you try to apply any sort of logic to it. My recommendation is to NOT apply any logic, and just go along for the ride. It is a fun ride with lots of wigs, costume changes, and Los Angeles tarted up to look like places from all around the world. It has a lot of energy, momentum, gadgets, and charm which more than off-set the lack of sense as far as I'm concerned.
Lost - see above. Except it is Hawaii instead of L.A., and there are no wigs but there is a polar bear. And Matthew Fox.
The OC - Seth was right, it was better last year. But I things are looking up with the arrival of Ryan's brother Trey (btw - SO not the same actor who played Trey last year). I think that was the missing dynamic - they need the fish out of water to make it all hold together. I guess the Cohen's will have to adopt one troubled youngster per season. Strangely, I'm OK with that.
Joan of Arcadia - this show is on the bubble with me. It has been suffering from hiatusitis, so maybe it will pick up now that it's back. But, it is starting to get signs of Everwooditis as well, and that's not good. Plus, what is up with Joan's hair going from dark brown to almost red?
There are obviously other shows that I watch - Desparate Housewives, some new ones (Eyes, Grey's Anatomy), and some hoary old ones (CSI), but they aren't ones I would get upset about missing. I don't know how long they will be able to continue DH. It sounds like it may explode from the inside - plus, it's not really that compelling. I enjoy it well enough when I am watching it, but I don't think about it one second beyond when it is on of my TV.
Tee hee. Now I totally know who to call when I don't know what to watch on t.v. It's weird. I used to be totally addicted to it, and after living without cable, but with school and an incredible amount of reading to do, I just kind of got away from it. Now I'm kind of a news junkie - Did I tell you I stayed up until 3 a.m. on a work night to watch the pope's funeral? (And then there was ensuing SHOOTING excitement in my neighborhood that kept me up even later, but I will tell you about that in person! Just as another note, I am not so addicted to CNN that I actually watched the Charles/Camilla wedding, though I was very taken with the British tabloid headline entitled "Boring Old Gits to Wed".) But back to regularly scheduled t.v.
ReplyDeleteOf the stuff you've listed, I watch Las Vegas occasionally, because Josh Duhamel is not difficult to look at, the occasional OC episode (possibly more now, since one of the shows I DO watch pretty regularly - Tru Calling [evil Brandon Walsh is way more fun than good Brandon ever was!)- is on right after it. and I will watch Gilmore Girls if I turn on the t.v. and it's on. I also agree about liking Medium. There is a new one coming on called Revelations or something like similar that I would kind of like to see. I suspect it will be really good or really suck. My sense is there will be no medium ground on this series, but the previews intrigue me. I think it's going to be on NBC. I'm seeing a thread here, btw, of liking things that are a little spooky/supernatural, but not scary (one of the reasons I want to catch up on all those Buffy episodes I never watched when they were in first run).
We also watch House sometimes (because of it being scheduled close to Secret Shame, which should give you a huge tip on what it is). I enjoy the cranky thing, but sometimes I start to get a little bored with the formula (i.e. the 3 misdiagnoses and saving right as a person's skin starts to explode in bloody pustules in preparation for impending death).
Pretty much everything I watch (except for my secret shame, which is too horrible to mention publicly) is something I watch if I feel like t.v. and it happens to be on. The thing is that I am not a t.v. snob at all. My secret shame is bad, REALLY bad. I've watched Full House reruns, simply because I am too lazy to get up and find the remote, so I have no room to cast stones. Mostly it's just that I kind of got out of the habit of t.v. for a few years. I watch more now than I did for quite a while, which was almost nothing. I've never gotten back to the height of my youthful t.v. watching. For a while it looked like I was going to end up one of those old ladies who highlight Friends reruns in the t.v. guide, so they don't miss them, but somehow I've managed to become obsessive about other things that don't leave me time for highlighting, so I don't really know when anything but a couple shows come on.
P.s. In totally mecentric new that no one else will probably care about, I got my new glasses and they are COOL. I think I love them!
First things first: You need to post a self-portrait of your new awesome glasses to Flickr! I decree it. Secondly, you need to tell me about the shooting (!) near your house. !!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThirdly, I am going to guess and out your Secret Shame as American Idol. Don't be ashamed - lots of people love it! I never got into it because it runs opposite something else I watch. Something to be ashamed about would be Everybody Loves Raymond. American Idol is the pop culture du juor! Embrace it, or I will make you a "special" I heart Simon Cowell T-Shirt and hat. Honestly - you saw the LONG LONG list of shows that I actually look forward to watching (does not include all that I *do* watch) so I don't buy the shame theory. (except for ELR).
Tru Calling should be better than it is. I like Eliza Dushku a lot (she was Faith on Buffy!), and I like her boss and her brother (whatever happened to her coke-head lawyer sister?), and I think if they were given another year they could turn it around. BUT - it is cancelled! They stopped making shows last year, and this "return" is just them burning off the remainder of the shows they'd filmed but not aired. And because they cancelled the wretched Point Pleasant (about the spawn of the devil who lived in NJ - I tried to watch because one of the exec. producers of Buffy was running it, but it was SUCKTASTIC - and that's saying something from someone who doesn't mind watching Charmed occasionally). But who knows - if Tru's ratings are good enough, maybe they'll bring her back. Unfortunately, all the shows I like getting cancelled mean I know a lot more about network politics than I wish I did. Which reminds me, when I get my Wonderfalls DVDs back from the person I loaned them to, you should come watch them with us. I think you'd like it. Jaye is cranky and sarcastic, yet lovable.
Responding to first thing first: A self-portrait is coming. I downloaded all the stuff on my camera today, and I am posting them in order taken. At the end of "order taken" is still life (I am alive and not moving, so I think it an appropriate term) with spectacles. I think they don't look bad, but then again a person who willingly bought a tie-die Sacigawea dress is probably not to be trusted.
ReplyDeleteThat's a bummer about Tru. I know it wasn't on for a long while. I thought it was maybe a second go with a new format, since they now have her in medical school and Brandon Walsh has an evil female friend who is playing Tru's boss.
I have no idea what Wonderfalls is, but knowing that you know what I like (and that it's not chantilly lace and a pretty face...), I will gladly come watch them with you.
We just watched Finding Neverland yesterday. It was really good. Today I am not doing much t.v. watching, but I am doing some cleaning out of my closet which has resulted in the rediscovery of my maribou bunny ears (I am wearing them as I type...Have you noticed how much easier it is to write and think with appropriate headgear?), a number of Irvine era McDonald's review photos, and a bunch of old travel brochures. But I am growing bored of organizing, therefore I am here.